Letter of Information/Consent Form Checklist

Red RiverCollege – Research Ethics Board

Letter of Information/Consent Form Checklist

All Letters of Information and Consent Forms should be written in lay terms (ordinary language), at an appropriate level taking into consideration who the participants will be, and they should be written in the prospective participant’s preferred language. [To assess readability using Microsoft Word, go to “Tools”  Spelling & Grammar” ”Options””Show Readability Statistics”. When Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it displays information about the reading grade level. ]

Letters of Information and Consent Forms should:

• Be on appropriate letterhead and a versiondate should be noted

• Include the title of the study(shortened if appropriate)

• Provide the name of thePrincipal Investigator(s)/Supervisor(s) and

other Investigator(s) where applicable

• Provide contact information for the researcher(s) and if applicable his

or her supervisor to enable participants to contact the researchers with

any questions about the research

• Provide a clear explanation that the letter / consent is in respect of a

research study

• Indicate the purpose of the proposed research (Why is the research being

conducted?)

• Describe in lay language (avoiding technical terms, acronymsand

abbreviations) the nature of the research (i.e., what the research involves,

including details of what will happen to the participant)

• Provide an explanation of how long the research and each stage of

the process will take

• If the study involves questionnaires or interviews, include a statement

indicating that the participants may decline to answer any or all questions

• If the study involves an interview indicate whether tape recordings or notes

are going to be taken

• Describe all foreseeable risks, discomforts and inconveniencesincluding

physical, psychological, emotional, and financial. The descriptionshould

delineate both the likelihood and the magnitude of the risk orinconvenience

• Describeany known or anticipated benefits that may arise from the

research (their nature and their likelihood)

• Describe the procedures which will be taken to ensuresecurity of the data,

and the anonymity or confidentiality of the participants. Ifthere are any limitations

on confidentiality (e.g. if the research involves focusgroups), these should

be noted

• Include a statement indicating that participation is voluntary and that

participants may withdraw their agreement to participate at any time

without consequence, and describe what will be done with the

data collected up to the time of withdrawal

• Indicate what compensation or reimbursement will be provided to the participants

• Include a statement indicating whether or not the research findings will be available

to the participants, and if so, how the findings will be communicated to them

• Include a statement indicating that the project has been reviewed and received ethics

clearance from the Red River College Research Ethics Board, and that participants with

concerns or questions respecting their involvement in the study may contact:

The Red RiverCollege Research Ethics Board

c/o Research and Planning

Telephone: 204.632.2038

E-mail:

• Give a copy of the signed consent form to the participant